Quiet time
Do you ever feel overwhelmed because there are too many things to do, too much stimulation, and too many people to see, hear, and talk to? I definitely do.
There are 16 million people in Istanbul. In Beijing, it’s 21 million. In Manila, it’s 13 million. The last three cities I’ve lived in have been overflowing with people. With this comes the busyness of life, traffic, food deliveries, emotions, stress—you name it.
What is quiet time
I thought quiet time was meditation, and in a way it is but it is also much more than that.
Simply put, it’s spending time with the Creator. Just me and Him.
You know when you’re rushing out the door and you’re throwing everything in your bag—keys, sunglasses, water bottle, sunscreen, laptop—life is like that. Every minute, we tack on more things on our mind, until it gets too full and heavy and we have to rummage through it until we find what we need.
Story time: My mom always had a heavy bag. We were living in Jeddah and we ordered pizza for dinner. She asked me to get a few riyals from her bag to pay the delivery guy. Do you think I found it immediately? No. I found an apple, some keys, and a book before I found her wallet. I think I found a plastic fork too.
My mind can easily fill up with things. From the minute I wake up, I have to change the baby’s diaper, get my bigger girl ready for school, forget to pee, take my vitamins, feed the baby, get dressed, wash my face, and walk the dog. I’ll remember to pee after I get back from the walk usually and FINALLY have breakfast.
I love quiet time because it re-centers my heart and mind. If you believe in design, like I do, no one knows what a particular artifact is built for except the one who built it. The purpose of the product lies in its engineer. And the same is true for us.
It’s spending time with the Engineer of my life, asking Him to align my will, unburdening myself of the heartaches of life, and refocusing on my purpose here.
How to get started on quiet time
Some people say quiet time should always be in the morning, to get ready for the day. But really, it can be anytime you want it to be. You just have to be consistent.
It can be as easy as putting on the Bible Project podcast while walking your dog for 20 minutes
It can be sitting in a private room, talking to God about what you’re thankful for and what you need help carrying. We all have burdens in life that become lighter when it’s shared.
It can be doodling with paint for 15 minutes, while thinking about what God means to you and how you’ve experienced Him in your life. Think about people you love and how He brought them to you.
A practical way is setting your alarm 10 minutes earlier, and before you open any social media apps, just say what you’re grateful for and how you’re feeling. It’s okay if you say you’re tired and sad. What matters is you’re doing quiet time.
We all have to start somewhere. How about you? Do you want to get started on quiet time or have already started a regular quiet time routine? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.